Page 170 - Roy W. Rice - CEO Material How to Be a Leader in Any Organization-McGraw-Hill (2009)

You Listen More Than You Talk • 151

Practice the speech out loud so that you can hear how it sounds to
your ear. Practice by presenting to a group of fifth graders, if possible, or
at least to your 12-year-old niece. If you can reach them on a visceral,
personal, and emotional level, you’ll be able to deal with any executives.
You needn’t do what I saw in one politician’s notes, “Choke up on
page three, and brush away a tear on page four.”
When you’re delivering your speech, your first remark should be an
attention-getting statement, preferably one your audience would agree
with, to enlist them from the start. Then proceed with their interest
peaked. If they trust you from the beginning, you can go on and say
what you need to say in a fun, spirited conversation with the audience.
“We are so fortunate to live the way we do and be able to gather
together to talk like we are. I’m grateful and proud to get to speak to
you about....”
Use humor that is topical, tasteful, and pertinent to help establish
rapport. The more you generate some laughs or at least snickers, the
smarter they will think you are, and the more you’ll relax and do better.
To avoid being “scared scriptless,” provide a series of points or
propositions in numbered or logical sequences. Go for three points,
three things to take away, three top tasks—three is magic for being
remembered and repeated.
Incorporate stories of survival early on, where you, the company, or a
group was pitted against another and won. Get excruciatingly personal,
where you share honest vulnerability or private pain. Be honest;
don’t B.S.
Use rhyme, alliteration, even poetry—serious messages don’t need
to be boring. Construct sentences, phrases, and paragraphs to simplify,
clarify, and emphasize. Avoid verbosity and pomposity. Use short,
sharp, unpretentious wording to aid in the audience’s comprehension
and comfort. With major points, be positive, specific, and definite; avoid
such words as suggest, perhaps, possible alternatives for consideration,
etc. Write sentences that are lean and crisp and crowded with facts
but not generalities and sentimentalities. Use no slang, legalistic
terms, clichés, contradictions, elaborate metaphors, or ornate figures
of speech.
Rule: ABWADUA—“Avoid buzzwords and don’t use acronyms.”
You create your legacy with different messages that stand out from
the competition, especially with ideas others aren’t talking about.